Link belt conveyer



GQWEBB 1,724,150

LINK BELT CONVEYER Original Filed Dec. 23, 1926 E gj | l l@ WWE g .lilUmb? l In.

29 .as He@ .lll

GEORGE wenn, or WEST nmrronn'ooNNEcTIcUr, Assurer-on' To coLms PATENTPATENT oFFicE.

-FIRE ARMS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, F HARTFQBD, CONNECTICUT, A. CR-

PQRATION 0F CONNECTICUT.

LINK BELT CONVEYER.

Original application led December 23, 1926, Serial No. 156,568. Dividedand this application med .Tune 15, 1927. Serial No. 199,089. .l

The invention relates particularly -to a link belt conveyer4 adapted toform a part oi a machine for washing dishes or other articles such, forinstance, as shown in my co-pending application Serial No. 156,568, bledDecember 23, 1926, which has resulted in Patent No. l,719,410, dated.July 2, 1929. This present application is a division of the saidcopending application.

Another object of the invention 1s to provide in association with thearticle carrying links oi the belt sup lemental means at the sidesthereof and pre erably including auxiliary links whereby belt supportingla rollers may be provided and whereby the belt may be engaged anddriven by a suitable s rocket wheel. y v

A. urther object of the invention is Vto provide in combination with abelt ofthe 2o type described supporting drums having pockets or recessestherein to receive the rollers so that the rollers are prevented virornsupporting the belt as it passes around the druin.

Still urther objects of the invention. will be apparent from thefollowing specication and claims.

lln the accompanying drawing I have shown the embodiment of theinvention au which ll now deem preferable but it will be understood thatthe drawing is intended lor illustrative purposes only and is not to beconstrued as limiting or defining the scope of the invention, 'theclaims forming a part as ol this specification being relied upon forthat purpose.

@fthe drawing: U Fig. l is a fragmentary plan view showing a section ota conveyer belt embodying tu the invention and also showing portions ofthe drums over which the belt is adapted to ass. p lFig. 2 is a sideview partly in section with certain parts broken away, this view showising the two drums and also showing the belt passing around the drums.

Figs. 3 and 4 are plan and side views respectively, on an enlargedscale, showing one of the links of the conveyer; "l

Fig. 5 is a plan view on the same scale as Figs. 3 and 4 showing one setof auxiliary links such as are provided at the sides of the belt.

Fig. 6fis a fragmentary sectional view on the same scale as Figs. 3, 4,and 5, this view being taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

As shown most clearly in Figs. 1 and 2lthe link belt pro er comprises aseries of transverse rows o links l, 1 arranged with the links of eachtwo adjacent rows in staggered relationship to each other. While I donot narrowly limit myself as concerns the details o-construction of thelinks I prefer the construction which is shown in detail in Figs. 3 and4. As illustrated each link comprises two pairs of metal strips 3, 3 and4, 4 which are connected together by means of bushings 5, 5. Eachbushing is shouldered at each end at 6 and is provided with a reducedportion which extends through apertures in the corresponding strips 3, 3or 4, 4 and is spun or riveted over at 7. The strips of each pair, 3, 3,and 4, 4, are spaced apart between the bushings 5, 5 so as to receivebetween them a plate or carrier element 8 oi' a suitable material. Thetwo plates or elements 8, 8' held by the strips 3, 3, and 4, 4 projectupward above the other parts of the link, being thus adapted to supportdishes or other articles which arev to be carried by the conveyer. Whenused in a dish-washing machine the elements 8, 6 are ordinarily formedoli a iibrous or non-metallic material.

The links oit each two adjacent rows are vso arranged that the openingsor apertures through the adjacent bushings 5, 5 of the two rows are inalignment with each other. Tubes 9, 9 are provided which extend throughthe aligned apertures oi the several rows of links these tubes servingas pivotal connecting means for the links of the several rows. Thelength of each tube 9 is slightly in excess of the aggregate width oftheseveral links withwhich it engages and tie rods l0, 10 are providedwhich extend through the respective tubes. l provide means carried bythe respective tie rods adjacent the ends of the tubes for preventingmovement ofthe links transversely beyond the said ends. Thus the tubesand tie rods serve as pivot elements as already stated and the tie rodswith the said means carried thereby serve to prevent the links frommoving transversely out of their proper relationship to each other andto the tubes.

Thel means carried by the rods .for reventing the transverse movement ofthe llnks may be varied but I prefer a construction which is such thatsome of the pivot elements, particularly the tie rods thereof, alsocarry at their ends bushings adapted to be engaged by a sprocket wheelfor the purpose of driving the belt. As illustrated each alternate rod10 carries a sprocket engaging bushing 11 preferably mounted in themanner to `be hereinafter described in det-ail. I also 'prefer toprovide a construction which is such that some of the rods carry rollersat their ends which rollers are ada ted to engage suitable rails forsupporting tile belt. As shown each remaining alternate rod 10 carries aroller 12 which is mounted in the manner to be hereinafter described indetail.

The roller 12 is ordinarily formed of metal and preferably it isrotatably mounted upon a bushing 13 which 'is or may be the same inconstruction as the bushing 11. These two bushings 11 and 13 form partsof an auxiliary connecting link 14, this link comprising in addition tothe said bushings a body plate 15. It is sometimes desirable toelectrically insulate the conveyor from other parts of the machine, andin such cases the rollers 12, 12 may be formed of suitable insulatingmaterial.

The two bushings 11 and 13 surround the corresponding ends of thecorresponding tie rods 10, 10 but instead of being directly mounted uponthe tie rods they are mounted upon bushings 16 and 17 which form arts ofauxiliary, half links 18 and 19 as s own in detail in Fig. 5. Each halflink 18 comprises in addition to the two bushings 16, 16 a body plate 20and each half link 19 comprises in addition to the two bushings 17, 17 abody plate 21. When the two half links are assembled as shown in Fig. 6the adjacent ends of each two bushings 16 and 17 engage each other andthe inner end of each bushing 16 engages the outer end of thecorrespondin tube 9. The outer end of each bushing 1 is engaged eitherby a head 22 or a nut 23 on the corresponding tie rod 10. It will beseen that by tightening the corresponding nut 23 each tie rod serves torigidly connect the corresponding tube with the two bushings 16 and 17at each end thereof. As already stated the length of each tube issomewhat greater than the aggregate width of the links with which itengages and the links are thus left free for pivotal movement on thetube. The aggregate length of each two bushings 16 and 17 between thecorresponding plates 20 and 21 is slightly greater than the total lengthof the corresponding bushing 11 or 13 and accordingly the connectin link14 is free for pivotal movement on t e said bushings 16 and 17.

In Figs. 1' and 2 of the drawing are shown two cylindrical drums 24 and425 for supporting and guiding the link belt as a whole. For supportingthe belt .between the drums rails 26 and 27 are provided these beinglocated in osition to engage the rollers 12, 12 as clear y shown in Fig.2. Preferably each drum is provided at each end with recesses 28, 28 forreceiving the several rollers`12 so that the rollers will be entirelyclear during the passage of the belt around 7 each drum. The severallinks 1, 1 of the belt directly engage the periphery of the drum and therollers 12, 12 have no function while the belt is supported by thedrums.

Preferably for the purpose of driving the belt one of the drums as forinstance drum 24 is provided with sprocket teeth 29, 29. As illustratedeach sprocket tooth 29 is provided with an opening 30 adapted to receiveone of the bushings 11, the bushing being engaged by one wall of theopening for the purpose of driving the conveyer. From an inspection ofFig. 2 it will be clear that each recess 30 is of sufficient depth toavoid any possibility of the bushing 11 engaging the bottom thereof. Y

lVhat I claim is:

1. In a link belt for a conveyer, the combination of a series oftransverse rows of transversely apertured links arranged with the linksof each two adjacent rows in staggered relationship to each other andhaving their correspondingapertures in alignment with each other, tubesrespectively extending through and approximately fitting the alignedapertures of the several rows of links and serving as pivots therefor,tie rods extending through the respective tubes, a series of pairs ofhalf links at each side of the belt, each half link including twobushings fitting two adjacent rods and the bushings of the two links ofeach pair engaging each other, and connectin links each includin twobushings respectively surrounding and fitting the adjacent bushings oftwo adjacent pairs of half links, one of the bushings of each connectinglink being adapted for engagement with a driving sprocket.

2. In a link belt for a conveyer, the combination of a series oftransverse rows of 115 transversely apertured links arranged with thelinks of each two adjacent rows in staggered relationship to each otherand having their corresponding apertures in alignment with each other,tubes respectively extending 120 through and approximately fitting thealigned apertures of the several rows of links and serving as pivotstherefor, tie rods extending through the respective tubes, a scries ofpairs of half links at each side of the 125 belt, each half linkincludin two bushings fitting tWo adjacent rods an the bushings of thetwo links of each pair engaging each other, connectin links eachincluding two bushings respectively surrounding and fit- 13o ,y ting theadjacent bushings of two adjacent l.receiving recesses which links ofthe belt to directly enga e the pepairs of half links, one of thebushings of each connecting link beingjadapted for engagement with adriving sprocket,` and belt supporting rollers rotatably mountedrespectively on the remaining bushings of the j connecting links.

3. In a link belt conveyer, the combination of an endless series oftransverse rows of transversely apertured links arranged with the linksof each two adjacent rows in staggered relationship to each other andhaving their corresponding apertures in alignment with each other,pivot` elements respectively extending through the aligned apertures ofthe several rows of links, belt supporting rollers carried respectivelyby some of the said pivot elements at opposite ends thereof, twocylindrical supporting drums for the belt, each drum being provided withroller permit the said ripheries of the drums, and rails or engaging therollers between the drums to support the belt.

4. In a link belt conveyer, the combination of an endless series oftransverse rows of transversely apertured links arranged with the linksof each two adjacent rows in staggered relationship to each other andhaving their corres ondlng apertures in alignment with each ot er, tubesrespectively extendingthrough and approximately fitting the alignedapertures of the several rows of links and serving as pivots therefor,tie rods extendin through the respective. tubes, means carrie by therespective tie rods adjacent the ends of the tubes for preventingmovement of the links transversely beyond the ends of the tubes, beltsupporting rollers carried respectively by some of the tie rods atopposite ends thereofl and beyond the ends of the tubes, two cylindricalsupporting drums for the belt, each drum being provided with rollerreceiving recesses which permit the said links of the belt to directlyengage the peripheries of the drums, and rails for engaging the rollersbetween the drums to support the belt.

5. In a link belt conveyer, the combination of an endless series oftransverse rows of transversely apertured links arranged with the linksof each two adjacent rows in staggered relationship to each other andhaving their corresponding apertures in alignment with each other, pivotelements respectively extending through the aligned apertures of theseveral rows of links, belt supporting rollers carried respectively bysome of the said pivot elements at opposite ends thereof, sprocketengaging bushings carried respectively by the remaining pivot elementsat opposite ends thereof, Atwo cylindrical supporting drums for thebelt, each drum being provided with roller receiving recesses whichpermit the said links of the belt to directly engage the peripheries ofthe `drums and one of them being provided with sprocket teeth engagingthe aforesaid bushings, and rails for engaging the rollers between thedrums to support the belt.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of June,1927.

4 GEORGE WEBB.

